EchoStar vIP-TV Launches conversion program

[Scott Greczkowski]

EchoStar vIP-TV Launches conversion program for Ip-prime video transport customers

ViP-TV Offers Telcos Seamless and Cost Effective Solution for Delivering Approximately 250 Popular TV Channels, Including Satellite-Delivered Local Broadcast and HD Channels via Secure IP Platform

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – March 23, 2009 – EchoStar Satellite Services, a division of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), announced today the company’s IP-Prime Conversion Program, designed to provide continued delivery of video transport services for telco IP headend facilities across the United States. Commercial transport provider IP-Prime has previously announced it will discontinue its video transport service to headend facilities by July 31, 2009. EchoStar’s IP-Prime Conversion Program provides qualified customers with EchoStar’s ViP-TV™ transport service, replacement IDC satellite receivers and a standard professional installation, including compatible LNBs, a satellite dish re-point, cabling and connectors.

EchoStar’s ViP-TV transport service delivers a secure, MPEG-4 encoded IP stream of approximately 250 channels of popular, broadcast quality TV channels from a satellite located at 85 degrees W.L. In addition, ViP-TV can provide local TV channel aggregation in the telco’s DMA in both high definition and standard definition (where available).

EchoStar will demonstrate the service at Satellite 2009 booth #597 at the Washington Convention Center, March 25-27.

ViP-TV provides a complete set of design and integration services to build a fully provisioned IPTV system for telcos. EchoStar also offers flexible choices from market leading suppliers of conditional access systems (CAS), subscriber management systems (SMS), video on demand (VOD), emergency alert systems (EAS), electronic program guide (EPG), ad insert systems (AIS), boxware (middleware) and set-top boxes ranging from entry level to full featured standard definition and high definition digital video recorders.

“EchoStar is committed to delivering a best-in-class transport service not only to IP-Prime customers but also to telco operators across the nation,” said Steve Skalski, vice president of EchoStar’s ViP-TV division. “ViP-TV offers operators affordable, scalable and aggregated MPEG-4 IP-encapsulated audio and TV channels from a high-powered satellite. Through our proven work with CAS and middleware solutions, our ViP-TV service can be deployed rapidly and maintained at a low cost. Our experts are also available to provide a channel management analysis to help telcos competing in a triple play market determine how best to acquire and retain video subscribers.”

ViP-TV’s suite of channels includes the following:

ViP-Premier™, offering approximately 110 of the most popular TV channels;
ViP-HD™, boasting approximately 42 channels of industry-leading high definition programming;
ViP-Movies™, presenting a menu of approximately 39 channels of the most popular movie services;
ViP-Latino™, offering approximately 38 channels of top-rated Spanish-language programming;
ViP-International™, providing approximately 23 channels in multiple languages.

For more information on ViP-TV, visit Echostar ViP-TV - Home, contact 303-706-4040 or email viptv@echostar.com.

 

[photoman76]

Well maybe they will sign up a customer now. Last election night they dropped all the VIP TV signals on AMC 16 to make room for election coverage. If they had any customers, I would think they wouldn't be able to do that. IPTV to telcos doesn't seem very popular in the US. I don't think VIP TV will get many customers.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I don't think anyone is using this service. Does anyone know if there is even one cable company using it?

 

[dlsnyder]

I'm not sure I get what this service is supposed to do. Are the telcos repackaging the satellite programming and distributing it via IP on DSL or something like that? Are there any telcos doing this in the US? The only one I can think of that might be is Qwest - I think they have a service something like this serving a small area in Omaha.

 

[zinc]

I work for a telco that currently offers high speed internet, phone, and we partner with dish for TV. we have talked about getting into the TV market but there is a lot of red tape involved dealing with all the major networks/providers. i think this is something that we would prob consider so we could get our customers TV over copper instead of having a dish on their roofs also

 

[dishcomm]

EchoStar vIP-TV Launches conversion program for Ip-prime video transport customers

ViP-TV Offers Telcos Seamless and Cost Effective Solution for Delivering Approximately 250 Popular TV Channels, Including Satellite-Delivered Local Broadcast and HD Channels via Secure IP Platform

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – March 23, 2009 – EchoStar Satellite Services, a division of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), announced today the company’s IP-Prime Conversion Program, designed to provide continued delivery of video transport services for telco IP headend facilities across the United States. Commercial transport provider IP-Prime has previously announced it will discontinue its video transport service to headend facilities by July 31, 2009. EchoStar’s IP-Prime Conversion Program provides qualified customers with EchoStar’s ViP-TV™ transport service, replacement IDC satellite receivers and a standard professional installation, including compatible LNBs, a satellite dish re-point, cabling and connectors.

EchoStar’s ViP-TV transport service delivers a secure, MPEG-4 encoded IP stream of approximately 250 channels of popular, broadcast quality TV channels from a satellite located at 85 degrees W.L. In addition, ViP-TV can provide local TV channel aggregation in the telco’s DMA in both high definition and standard definition (where available).

EchoStar will demonstrate the service at Satellite 2009 booth #597 at the Washington Convention Center, March 25-27.

ViP-TV provides a complete set of design and integration services to build a fully provisioned IPTV system for telcos. EchoStar also offers flexible choices from market leading suppliers of conditional access systems (CAS), subscriber management systems (SMS), video on demand (VOD), emergency alert systems (EAS), electronic program guide (EPG), ad insert systems (AIS), boxware (middleware) and set-top boxes ranging from entry level to full featured standard definition and high definition digital video recorders.

“EchoStar is committed to delivering a best-in-class transport service not only to IP-Prime customers but also to telco operators across the nation,” said Steve Skalski, vice president of EchoStar’s ViP-TV division. “ViP-TV offers operators affordable, scalable and aggregated MPEG-4 IP-encapsulated audio and TV channels from a high-powered satellite. Through our proven work with CAS and middleware solutions, our ViP-TV service can be deployed rapidly and maintained at a low cost. Our experts are also available to provide a channel management analysis to help telcos competing in a triple play market determine how best to acquire and retain video subscribers.”

ViP-TV’s suite of channels includes the following:

ViP-Premier™, offering approximately 110 of the most popular TV channels;
ViP-HD™, boasting approximately 42 channels of industry-leading high definition programming;
ViP-Movies™, presenting a menu of approximately 39 channels of the most popular movie services;
ViP-Latino™, offering approximately 38 channels of top-rated Spanish-language programming;
ViP-International™, providing approximately 23 channels in multiple languages.

For more information on ViP-TV, visit Echostar ViP-TV - Home, contact 303-706-4040 or email viptv@echostar.com.

So it looks like E* is getting into the "cable tv" business. Or something like that.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Echostar is a separate company from DISH and as such they are trying to sell to any and all companies their services, receivers , satellites etc. I guess they are hedging their bets to make sure that they are diversified in the market and to be prepared for all contingencies.

 

[DishSubLA]

So it looks like E* is getting into the "cable tv" business. Or something like that.

They've been in this "business" for a while now.